4 Fun Ways To Use Your Leftover Halloween Pumpkins

Don't just toss them (or leave them to rot on your front porch)!

Bad news, my boo-tiful babies: Halloween is over and it’s time to pack up our cackling witches, our spooky skeletons, our faux spider webs and our pumpkins. Whether you carved your pumpkin into the shape of a ghost, or a classic smiling jack-o-lantern, or you just painted it to look like Chase from “Paw Patrol” (Guilty—so much easier than carving out pumpkin guts!), then you might be wondering what you should do now with your squash. (Surprise botany lesson: The word “pumpkin” actually has no meaning in the botanical world. Technically, all pumpkins are actually squash.)

But, here’s the good news: The best holiday of the year may be over, but there are tons of awesome and even delicious things you can do with your masterpieces. Consider these cool ideas:

1. Pickle The Rind

Did you know you could prepare pickled pumpkin rinds from the peels of your pumpkin? (Say that three times fast!) Well, you can, and it’s delicious. But this idea is only good if you carved your pumpkin recently. You don’t want to try this project with a pumpkin that was carved more than a couple of days ago, or a pumpkin that is showing any signs of rot or decay.

To try this cool idea, peel off the outer layer of your jack-o-lantern with a veggie peeler. Now, cut the rind (the inch-thick section right under the skin) off the pumpkin. Then, you pickle these scrumptious scrapes in a brine with sugar, salt, and white wine vinegar. Some recipes also call for cinnamon or other fall flavors. This clever recipe from Arctic Grub uses ginger, allspice berries and a whole chili pepper for an extra dash of heat!

2. Compost That Bad Boy

Whether you live in a city with compost pickup or you do your own backyard composting, make sure to toss that jack-o-lantern in with all of your veggie scraps. It makes for perfect composting and it ensures that your pumpkin goes to good use, even after the ghouls and goblins say goodbye for another year.

3. Bury Your Pumpkin

If you don’t compost, don’t worry: You can still make good use of your carved pumpkin. Just bury your pumpkin in your garden, as it will decompose and enrich your soil. Bonus points if you do this burial late at night and give your neighbors one last Halloween scare. “What is she burying?! Is she digging a grave? What is going on out there?”

4. Maybe She’s Born With It, Maybe It’s Pumpkin Guts

If you didn’t carve your pumpkin, then you have a ton of awesome options for post-Halloween fun. (As long as your pumpkin is still fresh and hasn’t been picked open by wild critters). If it’s good to eat, you can make everything from homemade pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin butter to pumpkin soup!

You can even make a pumpkin-sugar body scrub! Check out this exfoliating and wonderful-smelling scrub from Freutcake.